Bruins vs Lightning Prediction, Pick & Odds (Mar. 8)

• The Boston Bruins visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, March 8, 2025
• We’ve made our Bruins vs Lightning prediction for Saturday afternoon hockey on ABC
• Read below for Bruins vs Lightning prediction, preview and odds for today’s game

An Atlantic Division showdown sees the Boston Bruins (28-28-8) take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37-21-4) at Amalie Arena on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The puck drops at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, with national coverage on ABC.

The Lightning enter as heavy -305 home favorites on the moneyline, while the total is set at 6 goals. Will Tampa Bay’s explosive offense and home dominance overwhelm the rebuilding Bruins?

Here’s our Bruins vs Lightning prediction for Saturday’s matinee matchup.

Bruins vs Lightning Prediction & Pick

I’m backing the Lightning -1.5 on the puck line. Tampa Bay is on fire, winning 10 of their last 11 games while averaging a whopping 4.3 goals per contest during that span. They boast the NHL’s most potent offense, ranking tied for 1st in goals per game (3.60).

The Bruins, meanwhile, made it clear they’re punting on this season at the trade deadline. Boston dealt captain Brad Marchand along with several other veterans in Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic. This depleted roster now faces a tall task against the high-powered Lightning attack.

Boston’s scoring struggles (28th in goals per game) will only be exacerbated by losing Marchand, who has 47 points this season. The B’s have scored two goals or less in eight of their last nine losses. Generating offense against Tampa Bay’s improving defense (T-5th in goals against) looks like a bridge too far for the Bruins’ remaining roster.

On the flip side, the Lightning’s elite forward depth will cause fits for a Bruins blue line missing key cogs in Carlo and the injured Charlie McAvoy. Tampa forwards Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point all rank in the top 10 in points this season. The Bolts’ attack is a matchup nightmare for most teams when clicking, let alone the rebuilding Bruins.

Tampa Bay has also dominated this head-to-head matchup recently, going 4-1 SU in the last five meetings at Amalie Arena. They beat Boston 4-1 at home back in January. With the Bruins now significantly weakened personnel-wise, expect the Lightning to win comfortably on home ice where they’re 23-7-2 this season.

In net, Vezina candidate Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.24 GAA, .922 SV%) should best Boston’s Jeremy Swayman and backstop another strong defensive showing. Bet the Lightning at -120 to cover the 1.5-goal puck line and continue exposing the Bruins’ rebuild in emphatic fashion.

Saturday NHL Pick:

• Lightning Puck Line -1.5 (-120 at Caesars)

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Bruins vs Lightning Odds

The Lightning sit as heavy -305 home favorites on the moneyline, meaning a $305 bet would net you $100 in profit if Tampa wins. The Bruins are +240 underdogs, offering a potential $240 return on a $100 wager.

Tampa is -120 to cover the -1.5 puck line, so they need to prevail by two or more goals for that bet to cash. Meanwhile, Boston is +100 to stay within 1.5 goals – a $100 bet would win you $100 if the Bruins either win outright or lose by a single tally.

The Lightning’s puck line price offers strong value considering their explosive offense and the Bruins’ personnel losses. While the juice is a bit high, Tampa should win this one going away.

The total is perched at 6 goals, with both the over and under at even-money (+100/-120). Tampa’s high-flying attack and Boston’s defensive question marks make the over worth a look in what could be a one-sided affair.

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of March 8, 2025. Grab the Caesars promo code, or check out other NHL betting apps.